Technik » oar into pieces before the game --

American light flyweight Nico Hernandez, a 20-year-old from Wichita, Kansas, clinched at least a bronze medal Wednesday with his unanimous three-round decision victory against Ecuadors Carlos Eduardo Quipo Palaxti in the quarterfinals at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.Hernandez is the first American male boxer to claim an Olympic medal since heavyweight Deontay Wilder received a bronze at the 2008 Games in Beijing.The 2012 mens boxing team did not win a single medal for the first time in history, a shock, considering Team USA had won a total of 110 medals, the most of any nation, including 49 golds.It feels good knowing we didnt medal at the last Olympics, Hernandez said. That gave me and my team a lot of motivation. Weve all been together since we were younger on the junior team and the U.S. team, so at practice we push each other. It means a lot to me coming here and getting the job done.I know [a U.S. medal] is real important for my coaches and USA Boxing and also for me and my family back at home. Im just real glad because I worked a long time for this.Hernandez will face Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan in the semifinals Friday with a chance to claim at least a silver medal. There are two bronze medals awarded in boxing, so he and Dusmatov are both guaranteed a medal.Hernandez is the first American light flyweight to win a medal since Michael Carbajal, who went on to have a Hall of Fame professional career, claimed silver in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.Hernandez, who is 3-0 so far in Rio, advanced to the quarterfinals Monday with an upset over Russias Vasilii Egorov, the No. 2 seed in the weight class.On Wednesday, Hernandez, with father Lewis and mother Chello in attendance, edged the first round and then looked very strong in the second round. The third round was another close one, but he won it on all three scorecards to get the 29-28 decision from the judges.[The fight] was a little difficult, but I know as I go along the fights will get harder, Hernandez said. As long as I listen to my coaches and do what they say, I know they wont lead me in the wrong direction. [Going into the third round] they told me it was close. They told me the first round was close. I knew I took the second round. So they told me I needed that third round to win, so I went out there and executed the plan and got the win.They told me not to rush him, use the feints and let him come in, pick my uppercuts and stay on the outside. Thats what I did and it worked.While Hernandez was happy to win a medal, he said he wants more than a bronze.Im definitely excited about getting to this level and where Im at, but Im not satisfied with a bronze medal, he said. I came here to get gold so thats what I am going to continue to work towards. 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In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. AKRON, Ohio -- In a story Oct. 15 about the Western Michigan-Akron college football game, The Associated Press, based on information from the Western Michigan coach and television announcers, reported erroneously how Akron players destroyed an oar before the game to Western Michigans Row the Boat motivational mantra. Akron officials say an oar was broken into pieces, not burned.A corrected version of the story is below:No. 24 Western Michigan shuts out Zips 41-0Jarvion Franklin rushed for a school-record 281 yards and Zach Terrell threw for two scores and ran for two more as No. 24 Western Michigan -- ranked in the Top 25 this week for the first time in school history -- shut out Akron 41-0 on SaturdayBy MITCH STACYAP Sports WriterAKRON, Ohio -- Javarion Franklin and Zach Terrell made sure one of the biggest weeks in the 100-year history of the Western Michigan football ended on a high note.Franklin, a junior running back, rushed for a school-record 281 yards and quarterback Terrell threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more as No. 24 Western Michigan -- ranked in the Top 25 this week for the first time in school history -- shut out Akron 41-0 on Saturday.Corey Davis caught two touchdown passes to add to his career school record, finishing with eight catches for 63 yards. The Broncos (7-0, 2-0 Mid-American Conference) had 585 yards of offense.It was an incredible credit to our players, Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck said. They played possessed. They executed the game plan perfectly.Franklin, whose previous career-high rushing game was 211 yards against Idaho two seasons ago, ran for a 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Terrell was 21 for 31 for 207 yards.By the time the fourth quarter started, I really had no idea I had a lot of yards, Franklin said. Jamauri (Bogan) kept saying something about 200 but I thought he was lying, so Im like, `hey, whatever. I just go out there and move the chains.Western Michigan held Akron (4-3, 2-1) to 283 yards of offense and snuffed out their biggest threat in the second quarter when quarterback TraVon Chapman was intercepted by Broncos linebacker Casey Carson at the WMU 3-yard line.Chapman, subbing for injured starter Thomas Woodson for the third straight game, was 13 for 31 for 153 yards and was intercepted twice.THE TAKEAWAYWestern Michigan: The strong season continues for the Broncos. They looked efficient on most of their offensive drives and shut down the Zips. Every win makes coach P.J. Fleck more attractive to the Power Five teams expected to have ccoaching vacancies after the season.ddddddddddddAkron: The Zips suffered their first MAC loss, but theyre still likely to compete for the East Division crown. That means they could see WMU again in the conference championship game.Every now and then, you just get beat, Akron coach Terry Bowden said. Tonight, we just got beat on offense and on defense. Western Michigan just took it to us, and we didnt have any answers.POLL IMPLICATIONSNot many people saw Western Michigan roll over the Zips. But the score was decisive enough for the Broncos to hold their No. 24 spot or even move up.GIVING IT UPWestern Michigan became the last FBS team in the nation to commit a turnover when Akron defensive end Daumantas Venckus recovered a Davon Tucker fumble at the Akron 14 in the second quarter. WMUs Terrell had thrown an interception deep in Akron territory in the first quarter, but a defensive holding call nullified the play. Akron intercepted Terrell for real in the fourth quarter.WORKING ON A DREAMWestern Michigan is 7-0 for the first time since 1941, when it finished the season 8-0. The Broncos havent won the conference since 1988, when they went 7-1 in the MAC and 9-3 overall. They were 1-13 in 2013 -- Flecks first season -- before going 8-5 the past two years.THATS NOT VERY NICEA motivating technique for the Akron players Saturday was breaking an oar into pieces before the game -- designed to make light of Flecks Row the Boat mantra, which is supposed to symbolize a group of people working in unison for a common goal. Fleck, who came up with the mantra after losing an infant son shortly after birth a few years ago, didnt like it.Its not very classy, in my opinion, Fleck said after the game. Were not into revenge. I do believe in righteousness....Very simple, I think its just two different cultures.ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAMOne of the biggest cheers from the sparse crowd at InfoCision Stadium came in the second quarter when the PA announcer informed the crowd that the Cleveland Indians had taken the lead in the American League Championship Series being played about 40 miles away at Progressive Field. The Indians took a 2-0 lead over Toronto.UP NEXTWestern Michigan: The Broncos return home to play Eastern Michigan.Akron: The Zips travel to face Ball State.---Follow Mitch Stacy at http://twitter.com/mitchstacyFor some of his other recent stories: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/mitch-stacy ' ' '